5 Best Food Processors Perfect for the Home Cook

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Whether you're looking to get more creative in the kitchen or you just need to replace an old standby, these processors will help you get the job done. From large capacity to mini options and everything in between, we've done the research to determine the ones that are actually worth your money.

Best Overall

Bottom Line: This best-overall food processor is both affordable and effective.

It's rare that our pick for best-overall is also the most affordable option on the list, but this 8-cup food processor checks both boxes. At 450 watts, it's reliably powerful for regular use, but it should also be noted that it'll take a bit longer to get completely smoothed-out purees from thicker or sturdier ingredients (like frozen fruits).

It comes with a single disc attachment that has slicing blades on one side and shredding blades on the other, which means there aren't a ton of parts to keep track of. Plus, the top piece turns over to fit neatly in the bowl for space-saving storage.

Best Splurge

Pros: Includes five disc attachments and a mini bowl insert, powerful motor, heavy-duty

Con: Pricey

Bottom Line: If you're looking for the absolute best-of-the-best, this is it.

This 16-cup food processor isn't just great for large batches, but it also works for everyday cooking and even small-batch prep. It comes with a mini 2.5-cup bowl attachment, along with two differently sized serrated blades for chopping, plus a dough hook insert that makes quick work of kneading. It also has five different discs for shredding, slicing, and even producing uniform french fries.

The digital display is easy to read, and it has a count-up and countdown timer. Buttons include power, pulse, and start/pause, and the cord is retractable to keep clutter at bay when not in use. The one downside is that it takes up a good chunk of countertop space, so we don't recommend this for tiny kitchens (unless you have ample cabinet storage).

Best Mini Option

Bottom Line: This mini blender is best for small-scale recipes and batches.

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If you're just looking for an affordable option that's easy to use and doesn't take up much space, this is your best bet. Cuisinart's mini processor works well for things like pesto and hummus, and it has a surprisingly powerful motor for such a small appliance. It's pretty straightforward, with both a chop and a grind button, which each rotate the blades at different speeds. However, there's no chute, so you'll have to stop and open the top to add more ingredients in.

Best for Large Batches

Bottom Line: This food processor is best for large families or frequent entertainers.

Though it sits in a higher price range, this top-of-the-line food processor by Cuisinart is absolutely worth the investment. With a 720-watt motor and an extra large feed tube, it quickly chops, slides, shreds, and purees with ease. Plus, a 14-cup bowl means you can prep enough food to feed a whole family in just one go.

On the appliance itself, the quick-touch panel buttons are easy to control, and a pulse button offers more precision when processing. This Cuisinart also comes with a three-year limited warranty for peace of mind. If you're looking for similar quality but smaller capacity, Cuisinart also makes a 7-cup version with a similar build that can be found here.

Whether you deal with dexterity issues or just a general frustration with all the twisting and locking parts of traditional food processors, you'll appreciate this unit's pieces, which snap together easily. It comes with a shredding/slicing blade, and it features cord storage space underneath the base.

Another advantage to this processor is that there's no max-fill line on the bowl, which means you can add liquid all the way to the top without risk of spillage. It also has more versatile buttons than any other, including pulse/chop, pure/mix, and slice/shred options. However, because of the bowl's height, the blades have a difficult time gripping small amounts of ingredients, so we don't recommend this one for tiny batches.

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